misuse
Americannoun
-
misuses
plural
-
wrong or improper use; misapplication.
- Synonyms:
- misappropriation, misemployment
-
Obsolete. bad or abusive treatment.
verb (used with object)
-
misuses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
misused,
past participle, past
-
misusing
present participle
-
to use wrongly or improperly; misapply.
-
to treat badly or abusively; maltreat.
noun
-
erroneous, improper, or unorthodox use
misuse of words
-
cruel or inhumane treatment
verb
-
to use wrongly
-
to treat badly or harshly
-
to use (something, esp alcohol, drugs, etc) improperly
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
misusesimple
-
misusessimple
-
have misusedperfect
-
has misusedperfect
-
am misusingprogressive
-
are misusingprogressive
-
is misusingprogressive
-
have been misusingperfect progressive
-
has been misusingperfect progressive
Past
-
misusedsimple
-
had misusedperfect
-
was misusingprogressive
-
were misusingprogressive
-
had been misusingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of misuse
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at mis- 1, use
Explanation
Misuse is using something incorrectly or in a harmful way. I warned you that repeated misuse of your cellphone would break it — I can't believe you were texting in the shower! You can use this word as a noun or a verb, with just a slight change in pronunciation. As a noun, misuse rhymes moose. But when you misuse the money your parents gave you for groceries, spending it all on candy and comic books, misuse rhymes with confuse. A less-common meaning of the verb is "treat someone badly."
Vocabulary lists containing misuse
mis-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
mis-
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
mis-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He suggested that the authorities could introduce a system to track the distribution and purchase of medicines to help identify possible misuse.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The most common ground for impeachment throughout Anglo-American history has been corruption, the misuse of the status and powers of office for private gain, either for oneself or for one’s family, friends, or political allies.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
It does not scorn God or faith, but the misuse of both by petty manipulators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Thus, rapid advances in frontier models are likely a crucial way to curb offensive cyberattacks and many other dangers from human misuse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Furious over what he considered an undeserved personal attack on his integrity, Stith set off alarms about Operation Breakthrough’s misuse of federally funded cars.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Under current law, queries are reported annually to Congress so misuses of the program are identified.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
"It misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism to expand it beyond those clear boundaries, to encompass further conduct that is already criminal under the law," he added.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2025
Recently, she’s chronicled on X the expulsion of New York Republican George Santos, who was booted from the House following a searing ethics report detailing misuses of campaign funds.
From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2024
I was a devoted reader of his criticism, but I didn’t always appreciate his screeds about the misuses of multiculturalism or his insistence that artists had more important things to do than combating “social evils.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2023
And indeed there did often exist in England at this time a misapprehension as to Irish wants, which led to some misuses of the funds which England so liberally sent.
From Castle Richmond by Anthony Trollope
“When products that can be misused are easy to find in our neighborhoods, a classroom lesson can only do so much,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
It’s just that he also sees a power being created, which he cautioned his flock to remember, could be misused.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Haymon contends that Olson misused her authority, noting the State Bar of California “reviewed the matter and took no disciplinary action, requiring no corrective measures.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The world's largest LGBTQ+ dating app was sued in the High Court in 2024 over claims it misused people's personal information.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
This chemical was misused by a number of cranberry growers in 1959, producing residues on some of the marketed berries.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
A Lufkin officer was indicted Aug. 24 on 100 counts of misusing official information, which Abbott cited as a concerning development during a Friday radio interview.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
PARIS—An appeals court ruled that Marine Le Pen is eligible to run in next year’s presidential election, despite being found guilty of misusing European Parliament funds, reviving the far-right leader’s political fortunes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
In this age of fairness and reason, it’s hard to imagine a government official misusing power to keep secrets, but I’m told it happens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
The suit seeks to block the foundation from allegedly misusing NRA trademarks and funds—and from breaking away from the NRA.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Grandma always brings up her younger sister Betsy’s misfortune as a warning to me about misusing my gift.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
